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Ashes boost as Strauss leads England home

Captain strikes his first senior century on Australian soil to see England to a comfortable six-wicket win in their opening tour match

The Sunday Times

November 7 2010, 12:50pm, The Sunday Times

Captain Andrew Strauss turns one behind on his way to his first ton of the year (Steve Wake)

Captain Andrew Strauss led from the front to ensure England began their Ashes tour with an ultimately emphatic six-wicket win. It was Strauss’s first senior century on Australian soil and his first in England colours this year and, alongside four second-innings wickets for Graeme Swann, their early tour form bodes well for England. Quite simply, if Strauss and Swann are on top of their game, England are too.

On the back of his unbeaten half-century that guided England to within touching distance of Western Australia’s first-innings total, Stuart Broad took two wickets to go with Swann’s four and restrict the hosts to 223, a lead of 243. It was a total that England made light work of thanks to Strauss’s unbeaten 120.